The Discovery

Using recycled materials visitors will build what they think a time machine would look like, thinking about what it needs to “travel through time” and how it would protect them from that travel. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Create a character that will grow with the spring flowers in The Shop. Using soil, grass seed, and a variety of other materials, you can create a character that, when nutured carefully, will grow a healthy crop of grass hair!   Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Using recycled materials visitors will build what they think a time machine would look like, thinking about what it needs to “travel through time” and how it would protect them from that travel. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Create a character that will grow with the spring flowers in The Shop. Using soil, grass seed, and a variety of other materials, you can create a character that, when nutured carefully, will grow a healthy crop of grass hair!   Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Young visitors will sort different nature items into categories of their choosing like size, color, type, etc. They will use fine motor skills to grasp items in nature of different sizes, feel different textures, use thinking skills to sort items in given categories, and learn about the items in nature. This activity is offered as part of The Discovery’s Small Wonder Wednesday program and is limited to attendees ages 5 and under.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.

Join us in The Shop and discover your inner artist to paint your very own wildflower watercolor painting! Get inspired by the diverse species of wildflowers across Nevada in celebration of National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 27, 2025. Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Using recycled materials visitors will build what they think a time machine would look like, thinking about what it needs to “travel through time” and how it would protect them from that travel. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Join experts from the National Forest Foundation to learn about the importance of maintaining a healthy watershed. The National Forest Foundation is the leading organization inspiring personal and meaningful connections to our National Forests, the centerpiece of America’s public lands. Chartered by Congress, the National Forest Foundation was created with a simple mission: bring people together to restore and enhance our National Forests and Grasslands.

Get ready to explore the world of sharks with The Discovery’s Museum Education Coordinator and Gills Club scientist, Maggie McClain. Participants in this hands-on exploration will learn how the form/shape of a shark’s body can tell us what they do. Highlighting the work of Dr. Kara Yopak who studies sharks’ brains and their correlation to their behavior, participants will also examine and measure a preserved shark in this engaging experience. Participants in the session for grades 6-7 will also get…

Join us in The Shop and discover your inner artist to paint your very own wildflower watercolor painting! Get inspired by the diverse species of wildflowers across Nevada in celebration of National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 27, 2025. Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Invention is a process! You’re invited to visit The Discovery’s Spark!Lab Smithsonian to explore the steps in the invention process including think it, sketch it, create it, tweak it, and sell it. Visit a station for each step in the process and who knows, you might just invent something new! Please note: Spark!Lab offers access to tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Invention is a process! You’re invited to visit The Discovery’s Spark!Lab Smithsonian to explore the steps in the invention process including think it, sketch it, create it, tweak it, and sell it. Visit a station for each step in the process and who knows, you might just invent something new! Please note: Spark!Lab offers access to tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Join us in The Shop and discover your inner artist to paint your very own wildflower watercolor painting! Get inspired by the diverse species of wildflowers across Nevada in celebration of National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 27, 2025. Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Young learners will explore gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination when they take a spin on one of The Discovery’s plasma cars. Hop on, wiggle, and navigate your way around a designated area in the museum. Beep beep! Please note: This activity is offered as part of The Discovery’s Small Wonder Wednesday program and is limited to attendees ages 5 and under.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.

Using recycled materials and craft supplies visitors can use their imagination and create their own spooky or silly monster. Please note: Spark!Lab Smithsonian offers access to tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Visit The Shop to create the perfect decoration for fall. Using hammers and nails, you can create a autumn-inspired shape to trace with festive fall yarn. Best of all, what you make is yours to take home! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Using recycled materials and craft supplies visitors can use their imagination and create their own spooky or silly monster. Please note: Spark!Lab Smithsonian offers access to tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Visit The Shop to create the perfect decoration for fall. Using hammers and nails, you can create a autumn-inspired shape to trace with festive fall yarn. Best of all, what you make is yours to take home! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Using recycled materials and craft supplies visitors can use their imagination and create their own spooky or silly monster. Please note: Spark!Lab Smithsonian offers access to tools and materials that can cause injury if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Visit The Shop to create the perfect decoration for fall. Using hammers and nails, you can create a autumn-inspired shape to trace with festive fall yarn. Best of all, what you make is yours to take home! Please note: The Shop offers access to real tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young tinkerers use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.

Humans have long endeavored to travel among the stars. To do so, we need innovative spaceships that go farther and faster than ever before. Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent a spacecraft using recycled materials, considering things like how it will be powered, where it will travel, who will be at the controls, and other important aspects of the mission. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to…

Humans have long endeavored to travel among the stars. To do so, we need innovative spaceships that go farther and faster than ever before. Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent a spacecraft using recycled materials, considering things like how it will be powered, where it will travel, who will be at the controls, and other important aspects of the mission. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to…

Humans have long endeavored to travel among the stars. To do so, we need innovative spaceships that go farther and faster than ever before. Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent a spacecraft using recycled materials, considering things like how it will be powered, where it will travel, who will be at the controls, and other important aspects of the mission. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to…

Humans have long endeavored to travel among the stars. To do so, we need innovative spaceships that go farther and faster than ever before. Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent a spacecraft using recycled materials, considering things like how it will be powered, where it will travel, who will be at the controls, and other important aspects of the mission. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to…

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.

Humans have long endeavored to travel among the stars. To do so, we need innovative spaceships that go farther and faster than ever before. Visit Spark!Lab Smithsonian to invent a spacecraft using recycled materials, considering things like how it will be powered, where it will travel, who will be at the controls, and other important aspects of the mission. Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to…

Come on over to Spark!Lab Smithsonian and use fabric scraps and craft supplies to design a costume for a mannequin or doll. The dolls/mannequins are not take home, but the costumes are! Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Come on over to Spark!Lab Smithsonian and use fabric scraps and craft supplies to design a costume for a mannequin or doll. The dolls/mannequins are not take home, but the costumes are! Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.

Come on over to Spark!Lab Smithsonian and use fabric scraps and craft supplies to design a costume for a mannequin or doll. The dolls/mannequins are not take home, but the costumes are! Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Nevada has a long history of reinventing itself. From mining, to divorce, to gaming, to outdoor recreation, our state often defies expectations and surprises visitors with intriguing ways to “get a little out there.” Join our speakers as we traverse Nevada, exploring some of the ways our state has turned history into tourism, reinventing the allure of the Silver State and creating exciting new reasons to visit. Location: Mackay Science Building Auditorium (Room 215), University of Nevada, Reno Parking: Free…

Get ready for a hauntingly good time at The Discovery’s 14th annual Halloween Trick or Treat. Visit the museum in costume and trick-or-treat from gallery to gallery. There’ll be spooky decorations and delicious treats for all the friendly or scary ghosts, ghouls and goblins who dare to attend. Advance tickets are suggested, but not required. A note about costumes: For the safety of all visitors, costumes with weapons of any kind are not allowed.     

Come on over to Spark!Lab Smithsonian and use fabric scraps and craft supplies to design a costume for a mannequin or doll. The dolls/mannequins are not take home, but the costumes are! Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.

Come on over to Spark!Lab Smithsonian and use fabric scraps and craft supplies to design a costume for a mannequin or doll. The dolls/mannequins are not take home, but the costumes are! Please note: This activity includes access to tools and materials that can be dangerous if used improperly. Parents are encouraged to help young inventors use the tools and materials safely in this space.

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.

13th Annual Giving & Glamping Fundraising Event Pack up and head out to The Discovery for giving and glamping at Chemistry of the Cocktail, the museum’s 13th annual fundraising event. Get cozy beneath a starry sky with alpine inspired cocktails, enjoy unique camping themed fare created by the experts at Blend, and take part in hands-on activities designed to bring the outdoors in—all while providing much-needed financial support for The Discovery, no tent or bug spray required! Tickets & Tables…

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.

Join us here at The Discovery every Wednesday for a special morning just for young learners ages 5 and under. Hear stories, climb the clouds, create art, and enjoy the entire museum for a full hour before it opens to everyone! Please note: Admission during Small Wonder Wednesday is limited to families with children ages 5 and under only. Visitors with children age 6 and older can visit the museum beginning at 10:00am.

Every Wednesday, beginning at 4:00pm, museum admission is just $5 per person! And best of all, the museum stays open until 8:00pm so there’s plenty of time to explore! Members and children under age 1 are always free.